As is well known, data processing systems having databases, including accounting systems in financial institutions such as banks, are used in various organizations.
FIG. 12 shows an example of such a data processing system, which is an accounting system for managing transactions for customer accounts in a financial institution. As shown in FIG. 12, a prior-art accounting system comprises a main database 10 for storing data such as a transaction history of customer accounts and a system unit 20 for performing a process according to a transaction for a customer account.
The system unit 20 performs various processes according to requests (data process requests) sent from an on-premises terminal 30 as well as an external-institution interface 31 and an ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) 32 connected through a communication controller 40. The on-premises terminal 30 accepts a transaction requested by a customer at a teller's window and an in-house data management operation. The external-institution interface 31, which is connected to systems at other tied-in financial institutions, accepts a transaction from a customer of another financial institution to its own customer and a transaction performed by its own customer through an ATM of another institution.
The system unit 20 comprises a main processor 21 for performing various transaction processes according to requests provided from the on-premises terminal 30 as well as requests provided from the external-institution interface 31 and the ATM 32 through the communication controller 40 and a process information transmitter/receiver 24, a center cut processor 22 for performing processes such as automatic transfer services, a database manager 23 for controlling data input-output to and from the main database 10, and the process information transmitter/receiver 24 for sending and receiving process information to and from the external communication controller 40.
Data such as transaction history data including transaction dates, transaction items, and balances on accounts are stored in the main database 10 based on processes performed in the main processor 21 and center cut processor 22.
The data thus stored in the main database 10 is especially critical to financial institutions. Therefore, the backbone system requires high reliability. Thus, various strategies such as dual-redundancy of the main database 10 have been adopted.
Some financial institutions having a backbone system and described above have recently extended the operating time of their ATMs 32 for improving their customer services. For example, some financial institutions operate their ATMs 24 hours a day. Typically, if an ATM 32 operates on a 24-hour basis, the backbone system itself of course would operate on a 24-hour basis. This may give rise to the following problems.
In the past, in order to maintain the recall ratio of the main database 10, maintenance could be performed in the nighttime, during which customer services are shut down. However, if the system operates on a 24-hour basis, time for performing the maintenance tasks cannot be made. Although the main database 10 or the entire backbone system may be duplicated for the maintenance, providing the redundant systems would require huge costs.
Furthermore, in the past, when data at the end of a month was required by the financial institution, the data was retrieved from the main database 10 after the end of operating time for customers at the month-end. For 24-hour operation, on the other hand, data in the main database 10 is updated each time an ATM 32 is used by a user, therefore such data cannot be retrieved in a straightforward manner.
In view of these problems, it is apparent that a full reorganization or reconstruction of the backbone system, such as the provision of redundant backbone systems, would be required in order to achieve the 24-hour operation of the ATM 32. In addition, some financial institutions use a conventional backbone system in which the batch processing of data is performed primarily. In such a case, the backbone system should be entirely replaced with new one. Of course, the full reorganization or reconstruction of the backbone system or complete replacement requires a large investment. Therefore, some financial institutions cannot shift to 24-hour operation of ATMs 32.
In addition, if trouble occurs during the shift from the old backbone system to a new backbone system, the entire backbone system can be shut down in the worst case. Therefore, careful preparations and precautions are required for replacing the entire backbone system.
The above-mentioned problems are not limited to backbone systems in financial institutions. They are common to data processing systems used in other applications.